FIREFIGHTERS were sent scrambling when a fire that was accidentally lit by a property owner on the weekend reignited and spread rapidly into bushland.
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The blaze, near Freemantle Road at Gowan, about 20 kilometres north-east of Orange, quickly tripled in size from 78 hectares (ha) to 217 on the back of Tuesday’s hot temperatures and gusty winds.
Multiple NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) ground and air crews were tasked to the scene with the blaze still out-of-control late in the afternoon.
RFS district co-ordinator Mick Holland was among the team co-ordinating the firefighting operations.
He said no properties were under threat, however crews were preparing for the worst.
“We are conducting a threat analysis for nearby properties,” Mr Holland said.
“Crews are monitoring local property in the area [to see] if protection is required.”
Mr Holland said firefighting crews were working to contain the fire as quickly as possible.
“The fire is in rough pasture and tea tree and the main effort is to prevent the fire from getting into inaccessible country,” he said.
An RFS spokesman said the flare occurred on the south-east edge of the fire’s perimeter.
“Aircraft have been dispatched from Mudgee and Cudal,” he said.
There have been no reported stock or property losses.
A total fire ban has been declared for Wednesday, covering Orange, Bathurst, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Lithgow, Mudgee and Oberon.
Meanwhile, the RFS is investigating the cause of a fire that burnt out more than 2730ha and destroyed a $250,000 tanker.
The Wuuluman fire, between Wellington and Mudgee, was detected on Wednesday afternoon.
However because of the hilly terrain, the blaze proved difficult for firefighters to bring under control and it was only contained on Monday.
The RFS said it hasn’t identified the cause of the fire but is conducting an investigation with police into how the fire started and would also investigate how the vehicle came to be in the path of the fire.
A source told the Daily Liberal the fire was started by a person on a property in the Wuuluman region before it got out of control. It was not suggested it was arson.
RFS media liaison officer Matthew Apps said the RFS was investigating how a category seven tanker, a four-year-old Isuzu, had been destroyed but said the greater focus was on controlling the fire.
“RFS fire investigators have come out to inspect the scene but the investigation is still in its early stages,” he said.
